Philadelphia Phillies P Aaron Nola will not receive an invite to major league spring training and is likely ticketed for Double-A to start the season. "He'll get into minor-league camp and get into the program there and it will be good for him and when he's ready to come to the big leagues, he'll come to the big leagues," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. Amaro did not rule out Nola making the parent club sometime this season.

The Philadelphia Phillies have not determined their trade status as of yet, but they are preparing for a sell situation at the deadline. "We're making sure we know which players we like the most in certain organizations and preparing for that," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. says. "At the same time, we're continuing to assess what our needs are."

With injuries hampering the Philadelphia Phillies at third base, sources indicate top 3B prospect Maikel Franco could be promoted to the parent club sometime this year instead of in 2015. "We'll see whether it's the right thing for us and the right thing for him," said Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. "We'll kick it around." Franco is hitting .301 in May.

Because every righthanded bullpen member of the Philadelphia Phillies has been demoted to Triple-A with the exception of CL Jonathan Papelbon, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has indicated the team is looking outside for help. "We've already started looking outside with other teams and also with possible free agents. We've touched base with a couple of them to see if they're fits," said Amaro, who also indicated if someone like free-agent CL Joel Hanrahan indicated an interest in signing the team would find a way to make it happen.

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said the team is unlikely to sign any additional free agents before the start of spring training camp. "I don't suspect we'll be doing anything," Amaro said. "I think we've got what we've got ... we're always looking, always trolling. I know there are guys out there, but I don't suspect us having anything major coming through."

The Philadelphia Phillies have reached out to C Carlos Ruiz and indicated they want him back for the 2014 season. "He knows we'd like to bring him back. We'll see what happens. It wouldn't be the first free agent we've had.… I'd like to have as much balance [in the lineup] as we can, we haven't been very good against left-handers. It's well documented," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.